Car-coupling



(No Model.)

1). P. EDGAR. (JAR COUPLING.

No. 410,544. Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

. 1 v 2 C 174% Witnesses Inventor 9Q 71/1,

a gnaw/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DENNIS P. EDGAR, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,544, dated September 3, 1889.

Application filed May 9, 1889. Serial No. 310,087. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, DENNIS P. EDGAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The special object of the invention is to couple and uncouple cars with a hook-coupler by means of a horizontal shaft under the car, said shaft being weighted at each end on a crank, so as to counterbalance a crank passing back and forth on the draw-bar.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a bottom plan View of a car provided with my coupling; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section on the dotted line 00 0c of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a detail perspective view of one of the twohook-j aws which hold the link. Fig. -l is a detail view of draglink.

In the drawings, A represents the bottom of the car, B pendent bearings thereon, and C C longitudinal bars, between which and opposite to each other are fastened the plates D D. In the latter work the arms c e of the nut E, in which turns the threaded end of the screw F, also the arms 9 g of the cross-guide G and the arms h h of the draw-bar II. All these arms are allowed a certain back-andforth motion in slots.

The draw-bar II has the usual flaring mouth, and 011 the inside a fixed hook I at the bot tom and the partition J at the top. 011 each side of this partition move the hook-jaws K K, pivoted at 7s and connected at the bottom by a cross-pin 7a with the elastic pitman L, having the upward curve Z, the downward curve 7., and the diagonal slot Z on the end. In this slot works the crank M on a crossshaft M in hearings or m. This shaft has at each end a crank weighted and diametrically opposite to the crank M. The use of a hand-crank on on each end of shaft allows the coupling or the uncoupling to be done 5o equally well on either side of the car.

011 the bottom of the draw-bar is a pendent stud or post 0, on which fits the crock P of the pitman L, so that when the crank M is thrown to the rear the link is clamped and held securely, while by throwing said crank to the front the slotted end Z of the pitman braces against the post 0, so as to hold the hook-jaws K K open and ready to receive the link. The movement of these jaws is limited by the length of the bottom slot h of the draw-bar. The hook-jaws being within and covered by the draw-head, I prevent cinders and ice from gathering around them, so as to interfere with their movement.

My bottom hook I, being liable to be broken when cast solid with the draw-bar, is made separate and held by two bolts i o' passing through the draw-bar; hence it can be readily replaced without renewing the draw-bar itself.

The draw-bar is so constructed that it may be placed where the old link-pin draw-bar has been removed from without requiring an y alterations in the attachments.

The pitman L is made of spring-steel, so as to allow the hook-jaws K K to give when locked down and let the link pass over the hook I. The cars being thus uncoupled cannot pull one another over banks and bridges. By pressing the hook-jaws down upon the end of link in the draw-bar the outer end will be raised for coupling with another car.

Q is an iron bar provided at each end with a link q, so as to connect a car which is off the track with a locomotive, so that said car may be readily dragged upon the rails. One of these links is pivoted, as shown, to suit any relative position.

My hook-jaws K K not only have projections k k at the top, so as to press upon and hold the link down, but also projections 7.: is pointing upward to support the sides of link and raise the same until it will readily pass over the bottom link-hook I.

WVhat I claim as new, and wish to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. The draw-bar of a car-coupling provided K, of the spring-pitman L, curved at Z l and 1 having slotted end 1*, the pendent lug or post 0, and the cross-shaft M, having the middle 1 crank M and diametrically opposite thereto the end cranks m m as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In car-couplers, the bottom hook I, bolted detachably in a medium groove of the drawbar, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DENNIS P. EDGAR.

YVitnesses:

R. D. KNOWLES, J OSEPH BUTLER. 

